Eleanor, the Academy for Vampires
by Avery Collins
Summary: triplets, Damien, Stephanie and Declan have escaped their past troubles and have joined Eleanor Academy. but had no clue that it housed a lot more than good study courses, it was a school for vampires. now that they are here, there's no turning back!
1. Chapter 1

"Please, shut up! I can't concentrate!", Stephanie shouted, her face twisted in annoyance and rage. She always had been the short fuse in the family.

She rolled her pale blue eyes and tossed her light brown twist and curls. She was lying on her bed with a magazine in front of her.

Her brother, Declan, was sitting at her study table and was playing some sort of game on her laptop and was yelling at the character.

"OH, golly gee, Stephanie, I am so sorry!", Declan made a fake innocent face and snickered. That was it. Stephanie lunged at him, shoving him off the chair to the floor. I sighed and rushed to them, grabbing Declan off the floor, away from Stephanie. Even though we were 17 years old, I still had to pacify Declan and Steph when they bickered away like this. Even now, that we were in boarding school, I had to control them.

For those of you who are wondering, I am Damien Westwood. I was the sister of Declan and Stephanie Westwood. Actually we were triplets. But Declan was always the baby. He looked younger too, his pale green eyes and almost- blonde hair, and his short skinny frame. All the three of us were skinny.

And we had such a shocking history.

Our parents had been killed in a car crash when we were babies. Only, a woman named Dorothy was posing as our mother, living with us till we were 16, when we found out that we were billionaires and that she was siphoning the money away, we had her arrested and we moved away to Eleanor Academy. Dorothy had turned Steph and me into mortal enemies and she had Declan sent away a lot so we never saw him. Now, Steph and I were getting back on track after spending our lives hating each other. Now we had Dex, too.

That's what we called him.

Despite being in boarding school, the three of us stuck together, like glue. We had the same friend's circle too. And we shared the dorm room. The three of us were inseparable. But I always had to break up their stupid quarrels.

Dorothy had always favored me over Dex and Steph and that made Dex shy and Steph, a hot head. Steph was rebellious and Dex was an introvert.

As for me, I am the extreme diplomat. I am the most logical, practical and sensible person ever. My grey eyes help calm people and my dark brown hair forms lovely waves at the ends, framing my face.

Apart from hair colour and eye colour, the three of us looked scarily alike. The doctor had even joke about having three twins!

But Dex, Steph and me were so vastly different by behavior and attitude.

"Earth to Damien, come in Damien…..", I was snapped out of my day dreaming by Dex and Steph's bad imitations of a navy radio code. I smiled at them and asked, "Isn't Loraine getting back with Ken?", I remembered Loraine, short and tiny, with jet black hair and eyes that were almost Chinese- like. The school's biggest gossip and the soccer champ, tanned and tall, Ken, brown hair and eyes, school heart throb.

I rolled my eyes, I hated love stories. "Yep, and so are Jesse and Dex", Stephanie gushed. I turned to see Dex, his face red, eyes down. Stephanie and I exchange glances and evilly teased him, "OHHHH Jesse!", tickled him till he cried. We loved to bully him.

"Well, are we going to the club or not?", Dex asked when he recovered. I nodded. As part of the welcoming party, Eleanor Academy had organized a night out at the nearby club. We all had to go. We soon skipped out of our dorms and went into the parking lot. Since we were billionaires, we had a car sent to us by our aunt and extended family. A Mercedes.

We hopped into the glossy black car, when Loraine, Jesse and Ken rushed out of the dorms. Soon we were all in the car, zooming off to the club. Stephanie had the wheel, with me next to her. In the back, Loraine and Ken were giggling about something and Jesse and Dex were just looking out the window. I glared at Dex; he was just too shy to talk, as was Jesse, her dark hair was cut so short like a boy's, and her dark eyes shone with excitement. Her tanned face was red, oh Jesse was the most peaceful, quiet and shy person I knew.

And also the sweetest and most selfless.

At the club, Loraine and Ken went off somewhere. Jesse just sat with Dex and they talked quietly. I glanced around, Stephanie was most likely to drink if I didn't stop her; more like if I didn't tell her that it wasn't juice, it was alcohol.

She was the most hare brained and impulsive person ever. I was so used to having to cover up for her and reel her in when she went over board. (Figuratively)

I was protective over my little starlets. Both of them. They were everything I had. I sometimes felt I was smothering them but they had told me that they needed it, it made up for not having a family. They loved it. which was exactly why I had to hunt them down now. I couldn't see either of them. Where had they gone?

I looked around and saw it…..

I saw a girl, really cute girl, she was biting Declan's neck! She was sinking her teeth into MY brother. I ran over to her and I was stopped by the disgusting sight of it. his blood spilt all over, I was nauseated. I bent over to throw up. I wanted to find Steph. I saw the girl and Dex again. Was she what I think she was? A… vampire?

I turned to run away. I had to see if Stephanie was okay; she was more likely to be in more trouble. "Ohoh no you don't" a guy stopped me. "Hey let me go!", I pushed him away, a full scale panic attack found me. I was gasping and reeling. I knew I would throw up! "Hey, hey, you're okay. You're fine", he held me, supporting me as I weakly collapsed.

He tightened his grip, he made me look into his eyes, I saw his face for the first time. He was beautiful beyond compare, his hair was dark brown and his eyes, oh his eyes were gorgeous; a stunning grey blue eyes that lit up like the moon with silver. He focused his gaze on me and whispered in a voice I knew belonged to an angel, "You will forget all about this. You will just go back with your brother and sister. Nothing ever happened in the Bitter Sweet Club, okay?", "umh", was all I could say. Wow! He was amazing. I knew what he was doing; he was using compulsion on me. it was a vampire ability. I knew I would forget everything.

Next thing I knew I woke up next morning with Stephanie and Declan in their own beds, across the room.

Then why did I feel so strange? Did something happen last night? Why was I with butterflies in my stomach at the thought of it? I had to find out. Did I black out?

I went over and saw Dex's sleeping face and then I saw it.

The mark on his neck.

I gasped, the only word that came to my mind was…vampires!


	2. Chapter 2

"Dex!", I shrieked, waking up the sleeping boy at once. Stephanie, who was sleeping at the other end of the room woke up too.

"Wha…", Dex mumbled sleepily. "Dex, look" I pulled him up a positioned him so that he could see himself in the wardrobe mirror. I gentle pressed my finger tips to his neck, along the red marks that looked like bites or fangs piercing skin.

"Ow. Stop it", he mumbled, his eyes closed in pain. A surge of love and protectiveness went through me.

"What's all the racket about?", Stephanie impatiently looked at Declan's neck. It spooked her when she did, too.

"Do you guys have any memory of what happened last night?", I asked shakily. And my suspicion was confirmed when both of them shook their heads. "I remember us getting into the Mercedes with Loraine, Ken and Jesse. I remember reaching the club and us parting ways", Dex's brow was furrowed in concentration. But he looked terrified. He kept glancing at his neck in the mirror.

"Yes, I remember I was dancing wildly and then I went somewhere. I can't remember where though…", Stephanie was squinting with the difficulty to remember. I too, had only faint memories of the night. Then an idea hit me; why not ask our friends, Ken, Loraine and Jesse. They went with us to the club so obviously they would have come back with us. They had to remember.

So we soon got dressed, Stephanie was in the shower when we heard an ear splintering scream. I recognized the voice. Stephanie.

So I rushed to the bathroom door, "Stephanie, are you alright?", I glanced back at Dex, whose eyes were wide with worry.

"Uh, yeah, uh can you guys come in?", Stephanie's voice was trembling, I knew she was crying. We bolted into the bathroom and saw her standing in front of the mirror. She was already dressed in a T-shirt and jeans. She was holding up her hair and looking at the mirror. "Steph?", Dex called but she didn't answer. She seemed hypnotized, in a trance.

I gently held her and looked at her neck.

Sure enough, there were bite marks on it. Her eyes were filling with tears as Dex and I silently led her into the room.

"Hey guys, what up?", Jesse, Ken and Loraine bounced into the room. Our room didn't seem even a bit crowded; it was really huge with enormous windows and doors. Even the bathroom was gigantic. And it was all a pale blue colour. The room was light, warm and spacious so even with three more people, it wasn't full.

I silently pointed to Stephanie's neck and then to Declan's. They looked at exchanged glanced. Wait, what? They KNEW about this?

"Um, how strange!", Loraine said weakly. Ken nodded. Jesse seemed too horrified to speak. But one thing was common, they were all lying. I know how to spot a liar, Dorothy made me very good at it. But why would our best friends lie to us? I just glared at Jesse until she broke. I knew she was the only one who couldn't hold a secret for long, especially in a confrontation. So I made life very hard for her. "Jesse? What do you know about this? You don't want to lie to me, do you?", I kept a steady, gaze on her red face, her eyes went to the floor.

"Uh, okay I can't do this!", she burst out. I grinned in satisfaction.

"But I swear none of US fed from them!", she blurted out. "Huh? What are you even talking about?", Dex faced her. Now all eyes were on Jesse, making her very uncomfortable. But when I glanced at Loraine and Ken, they were actually nervous; like Jesse would give away their secret. Did they know about this?

"Okay fine. Look, you guys picked the wrong Academy to study in. you don't want to be here any longer, okay? Please pack up and go", Loraine sighed.

"Then why are you here?", Stephanie challenged her, tempers rising. I grabbed Stephanie's arm and pulled her back.

"Because we're all vampires!", Jesse finally exploded.

Stephanie, Dex and I froze. I became aware that our hearts were thudding quite audibly to them. We were going to face mortality.

"We won't hurt you", Ken promised, seeing the alarm on my face. "But you can't be here, you could get hurt. The newborns have not much control", he explained. "So please, go now".

Oh, it wasn't that easy. Now that they told me so much, I began to recollect….Dex…his neck….blood. And then, the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. But I couldn't place what all this was.

So I asked them. "Look, you have to understand, Clove was starving. And Dex looked great. So she just took a bite. Sorry, Dex", Loraine said, smiling.

"And what about me?", Stephanie asked. She was inwardly freaking out. I suppressed a smile; Steph was always trying to be braver than us.

"Um, I think it was Chad. He's really cute, you know", Loraine winked. Oh, give me a break! She was a gossip forever.

"And Damien was compelled, right?", a funny tone entered her voice. When I nodded she whispered, "That was Sterling. It's not his real name. he doesn't tell anyone his real name", she said it in a strange way that made my skin crawl with discomfort. "Why is that?", I tried to keep my voice indifferent. I didn't want anyone to know how handsome, no, handsome would be too small an adjective for his beauty; how magically, spectacularly, bone melting, mind numbingly gorgeous he was!

"Because…..he's a prince, Damien", Loraine whispered. "His life is under threat or something. So he can't disclose his real name or of which kingdom he's the prince of. That's why he studies in this Academy" Everyone must have noticed how spell bound I was by this explanation. Because Dex cleared his throat and asked what we had to do about all this. All eyes turned on me.

Sometimes, it sucks being the smartest one around. I sighed and said, "I'd like to meet up with these people and then, the principal. We have to stay here, we have no family and this is the best Academy ever. Are we endangered here?", I turned my question to Ken. He nodded gravely. I scowled. But Loraine asked, "Have you asked your aunt how you could get admitted here in the first place? I mean, our Principal doesn't just let anyone come here. your family must have vampire ties", that got me thinking; was that even possible?

"Yeah, it's possible. I mean, we never knew our parents and their parents. Our aunt couldn't possibly get up the nerve to tell us that we were related to vampires", Stephanie mused out loud. She had a point.

There was a knock on the door; "The principal will meet up with you now", a voice said. I glanced to see the girl who'd bitten Dex last night. She was looking at him right then, like he was food. "Oh no you don't!", I lunged at her in rage.

I should have known better than to provoke a vampire.

Because in a battle, human vs vampire, the human always lost.


	3. Chapter 3

There was a lot of scuffling sounds as I was dragged away from the thin blonde vampire. I just didn't realize it until I looked at her. She was STILL looking at Dex, her eyes blazing red with thirst. I felt a surge of hatred towards her. Clove. As sweet and innocent as the name was, she was more savage. She barred her teeth at me with such ferocity that all I could think about was strangling her. I freed myself from the restraining hands and rushed to her.

She snarled at me but I stood my ground, our faces were mere inches apart. Then suddenly I felt a gasp from behind me and then a scream and a pair of strong arms almost hugged me and gently pulled me away.

I didn't look away from Clove. She was being led away by Ken and Loraine and Jesse was murmuring soothing words to her. I wanted to throw up!

"Feisty one, isn't she?", an angelic voice chuckled from the doorway. I glanced sharply, only to melt my bones. Standing there, leaning against the frame looking utterly at ease, was the Greek statute of Adonis, Sterling.

He was so adorable that I just wanted to stare like an idiot but I was MAD. So I spun around and began to tidy the room.

Stephanie couldn't shut up, could she? She began to make fun of me and Sterling eagerly joined. Though I didn't really mind, it was annoying when Ken and the others came in and heartily made fun of me, "Woah, catfights are so in! I thought I had to pry you guys apart with a crowbar! It was like a chick flick or something!", they all went on and on.

I finally lost my patience; I glared at them, "If you're all done, I'd like you to leave". I glanced at Dex and knew he hadn't said anything. He was just looking down. The others decided to leave and the room emptied itself but Sterling stood where he was. "Do you need a special invitation to LEAVE?", I smirked.

"No, I just had to tell you, since you guys know the vampire secret thing, you'll have to be turned. So you'll have to train and get used to the idea for a while which is why you have to leave with me to Moon Heaven Gates. It's a place where we turn people. So I'll be your trainer and instructor. Pack up, we leave in 20", and he was gone.

I had all my bags packed but I wasn't going to listen to HIM. I wasn't going anywhere. Not without Stephanie and Dex.

Loraine came with a message that Stephanie and Dex had to go to Moon Heaven Gates with their creators, too.

"I don't like this, Damien", Stephanie said, "Especially that crazy blonde spending time with Dex", so she felt it too, huh?

We both looked at Dex, he just looked away. Stephanie hugged me and Dex joined us. When the three of us hugged, the world felt unimportant.

"I love you guys", Dex whispered to us. Stephanie hugged tighter.

Then all of sudden, Dex was ripped from our embrace; the crazy blonde yanked him away. "No!" both Steph and i tried to get him but we were also being dragged off.

I stretched out my hand to them, my vision blurred by tears. I think they did the same but we were all taken away. Once they were out of my sight, I panicked.

I thrashed against my captor but it was useless, Sterling was a vampire. I gave up, drooping with exhaustion as he led me into a car. I drifted off into restless sleep and disturbing dreams.

"Hey", a silky voice said when I woke up. I was in a dorm room. I looked at Sterling and it all came back to me; where were Stephanie and Dex?

I leapt up, "Where are they? Are they okay?", I frantically asked Sterling.

"Relax, why are you up in knots about them? They're as old as you are. They can take care of themselves", he said in a soothing voice. "No you don't understand, they could get hurt, they're poor little kids. Why do want them?", I tried to push past him but he restrained me. "Little KIDS? Aren't you all 17?" he was obviously trying to annoy me. Or else he would have seen how defenseless those two were.

But eventually I understood I wasn't going to see them but I accepted that they were in good hands. But after a minute I was anxious again before I realized Sterling had used compulsion on me to calm me.

"What is it with you, Damien? You are trying to protect them so damn much, first in the club then with Clove and now. What's your story?", he finally asked me.

I tried to ignore how my heart sped up when he said my name and answered, "We never had parents and an imposter took tare of us. Dorothy pretended to be our mom and she was stealing our wealth. She turned Stephanie and me into enemies. She always put me above the other two. So Steph reacted with anger; Dex with shyness. Now that we're on our own, I have to take care f them. Declan is a social introvert and he freaks out in confrontations. Stephanie will bite off the other person's head if things don't go good for her. I am the only person who is even remotely diplomatic. They love it when I hover over them this much. I guess they feel safe and protected", I smiled lovingly when I spoke of them.

Sterling studied me. "Aren't you being a mom, a little too young?", he teased. I rolled my eyes, "No, I don't think so. You know, I don't even let them date anyone I'm not okay with. Stephanie hasn't found anyone yet. Dex and Jesse have a thing; which is great because Jesse is the only one with whom I would leave Dex with, without freaking out. She's my best friend too", I smiled again.

"You are so weird, Damien", he murmured. I shrugged.

"Is Sterling your first name or your last?", I asked cautiously. He said, "Last. My name is uh, whatever…", he shrugged and walked off.

I looked out the window of the room, "I'm coming for you, Steph and Dex. Don't you worry", I whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

It was true that I had several things on my mind, the topmost being, finding out how Stephanie and Dex were. I had to know that they were happy and comfortable; also protected and safe. My head was almost reeling with they thousands of thoughts that rushed in and out at an alarming rate. I tried to focus on where I was walking; the terrace of this place. Moon Heaven Gates was almost like Eleanor but it had far less population. Many humans who were to be turned were there. They seemed to cling to their creators.

It made me sick; partly because I hated the idea of love; partly because I found my creator so fascinating and he refused to be with me.

Hence, I found myself alone on the terrace parapet, walking around like a zombie. Huh, funny, I thought I was going to be a vampire, not a zombie.

I suddenly felt the parapet wall disappear beneath me; it was just me and my head full of worries. I looked down, though my vision was blurred. It looked easy enough to just leap off the terrace. Forget everything and just leave.

The world I knew was so full of problems, I just wish I could go. I didn't need to worry about Steph and Dex and…Sterling.

It infuriated me, how his name popped in my mind; I had had enough I just braced my self to jump.

But the thought of never seeing Stephanie and Declan again scared me and I turned to go, the worry blanketed me again. I didn't realize that the worry swallowed me and I couldn't see anything in front of me; just Stephanie and Dex.

I hadn't had anything to eat for nearly a day and the fatigue was catching up. I swayed, unable to walk straight. And before I knew it, my feet were no longer on the parapet. I just pulled away from reality and wrapped myself with the happy memories of my two starlets. I didn't need to feel the pain of death when I hit the ground. I would die, happy. Remembering the two people who mattered to me the most.

STERLING'S POINT OF VIEW-

She was obviously captivated by my looks and physique. As expected. I mean, I was designed to be alluring to humans. But if it were some other girl, she would just ignore the world and try to be with me. But not her. No. Damien spent all her time, worrying about her brother and sister. That was so unnatural that I was slightly offended. All she spoke about was Declan and Stephanie. And when she did, there was a glow in her eyes that showed her devotion to them.

But it repulsed me. I hated this. And she was a little unnecessarily curious about me and my real name. What is her problem? I think I dislike her.

But if I did, then why was I spending so much time thinking about her?

I just listened to her heart beat, I had to know where she was. Terrace.

So I headed up there, still thinking about Damien. Once on the terrace, I looked around, I saw a girl walking drunkenly about the parapet. My breath caught.

Damien.

She was going to fall! She seemed lost in thought. So lost, that she didn't even walk straight. She stumbled about. And then suddenly,….oh…..she was gone.

Why should I help her, I thought, turning back to the staircase. What, are you a sadist? She's going to DIE! My mind screamed at me.

At that moment all I could see was the empty parapet. I could hear her heart beat speeding up as she fell down, down, down…..

No!

The next thing I knew, Damien was in my arms, barely conscious. I was on the ground, safe. I realized Damien was cuddling to me; yuck. Disgusting. I dropped her out my grasp; I felt her fall against my feet.

"Ow!", she screamed, tears in her eyes. She looked up at me, not understanding what had happened. Well, neither did I, so …..

"Well, did that hurt?", I asked a little too sweetly. Damien nodded, confused.

"It would have hurt a hell lot more if you had fallen from up there!", I snapped pointing up. My rage was being fueled by her obvious confusion. She had no idea what she had narrowly escaped.

I kept my eyes focusing their icy glare into her eyes as understanding dawned over her. Damien's eyes filled up with tears. "I'm so sorry", she mouthed. "Do you know what kind of hell I would catch if you DIED? All because of your stupidity", I shot daggers at her. "I didn't mean to…..", she began, but I cut her off, "The hell you didn't! Oh my God! If I wasn't where I had been….", I didn't go on.

I saw I had really hurt Damien. She was still thinking about Stephanie and Declan, I knew it. She looked just so unhappy and defenseless, that I had no heart to yell at her further. I covered my eyes with my palm, exhaling.

I had just saved this girl's life.

Damien couldn't even stand up, I had to carry her, give her some food and let her sleep. "I want to see them, uh, Sterling. I need to know they're okay. Please", Damien begged me. "No, you can't. get over it", I said coldly.

"I am done with this. In their respect, I can't kid around. I need to see Stephanie and Dex", she yelled. I simply shook my head.

She worked up a real temper tantrum and it went on for a half hour; I quietly sat and pretended to listen to her angry demands. I was frankly surprised, I didn't know she was violent. When she was done it was my turn, "What is wrong with you? They are as old as you are and definitely more smart! They can take care of themselves! Why are you behaving this way?", I burst out. I needed to know.

"They're all I have, Sterling. They're everything to me", she sobbed. She began to cry so much that I regretted even hurting her. I pulled her to me and let her cry against my chest. And finally she subsided.

She gently pulled back and got up and washed her face. She came back, looking more like her old self and I handed her my phone. "Go ahead", I said kindly. Damien's face lit up and she looked at the screen, the name to dial was Clove.

Her whole expression changed, rage infiltrated her eyes and she hit call. "Hey Blondie! Put Dex on!" she yelled. "Hey Dex, I swear if you go one step closer to Blondie I will personally come and tie you up. Do you hear me?", she screamed. Even through her anger I saw the pure joy at talking to Dex. She turned around and mouthed, "Thank you", to me, smiling as she listened to Dex defend himself.

I nodded, realizing, that today, I had made a friend.


	5. Chapter 5

DAMIEN'S POINT OF VEIW-

He saved my life; he let me use his cell phone to talk to Dex; he was, literally, a shoulder to cry on. I was so glad my creator was Sterling but I truly disliked his name. Sterling. It was so weird.

Just then, he entered the room. I grinned and asked, "Your real name is nothing like 'Sterling', is it?", I saw his face was guarded for a moment, but her sighed and grinned back. "No, it's not. I think my name is really attractive. Anyway, you needn't call me Sterling, that's my last name. I mean, fake last name", he shrugged. "Then what do I call you?", I was curious.

He rolled his eyes, "Well my fake name is not really important. I think you should decide what you want to call me", he grinned. My heart stuttered. He obviously heard it and his face clouded over. Why? I didn't get it.

But he had just told me I could give him a name so I was preoccupied by that.

"How about it if I call you….", I began but I stopped quickly. I couldn't find a good enough name to suit his perfection. "What's the first letter of your real name?", I asked hopefully. He answered hesitantly, "I think I'll tell you later okay?", I nodded, disappointed.

"Well, time for classes", he piped and pulled me off the seat. I happily went to classes; we learnt everything that was taught in human school and much more. Related to vampires. It excited me to be learning again. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and then at about half past three, we walked into the yard. It was a break we were given. The day was cold, windy and dark with rain clouds.

We sat down at the yard benches and peered around.

All I saw were humans and their creators, hugging or kissing. It seemed to me that they were all in love. Except for me. I mean us.

We were barely friends. I glanced at him. He was looking as awkward as I was feeling. I just kept looking at him; his perfect face, impossibly good physique and heart of gold. Wow! People weren't that nice anymore. He was the best person I'd ever met. Wait, what was I thinking? About a guy who I barely know? Who actually dislikes me? And yet, here I was, staring at him like an idiot.

I sighed, shaking the feeling off, before getting up and walking off to the library.

The library became my sanctuary for the next few days. It was like the ones on TV in old castles. It was just so huge that it was easy to hide out behind the shelves and to sit in some corner in the reading area. I was here, partly because I loved books, also because I was hiding from Sterling. It became natural to me; after class I would duck my head, ignoring his confused face, run off into the vast library. There I would bury my face in a book when he came in, looking for me. I hardly even spoke to him for nearly five days.

Once Sterling caught my running into the library; he gripped my upper arms and breathed, "What is wrong? Why are you avoiding me? it's been six days, Damien. What did I do?", he was so confused and irritated.

I was getting nervous and flustered, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid. I DID NOT want to like him. I had to get away. I tried to wriggle out of Sterling's grasp but it was hopeless.

"Let go!", I squirmed away, pushing him. Suddenly he caught hold of me and pulled me into his arms. I gasped and stared into his eyes as he used his vampire speed and took me up to my room. Then he grabbed my hand and bit into my wrist. I tried to scream but the pleasure was far too great. I was in bliss, but it was short lived. Sterling's fangs retracted from my skin, my cut sealed up.

He looked at me with pained eyes. Then it hit me.

He drew from me because when a vampire fed, the human's and the vampire's minds connected form the duration of feeding. So now he knew exactly why I was avoiding him; I liked him. And I didn't want to.

"You could have told me, Damien", he said softly. I shook my head and tried to leave but he held my arm, restraining me. "This is normal. I am designed to be attractive to humans. It's part of my predatory characteristics. It's okay, Damien", he said tonelessly. I had had enough, "Look, I have just lost two of the most important people and I have been torn away from the life I loved. And now you're giving me attitude?", I screamed.

I had seen it in his mind, 'I am tired of having girls drool over me and throw themselves at me'. It stung me that Sterling thought I was DROOLING over him.

Now I saw it in his expression that he wouldn't take that back. "Well, see you later, Talon", I snapped and stormed out. I had seen in his mind, his fake name was Talon. I went to my hide out in the library. And I stayed away from him for a week. By this time I was weakening. I had to see Dex and Stephanie. I need them. I missed them so much, that whenever I was a bit alone in the library, I would cry out my sorrows. I had also begun to have terrible nightmares.

Altogether, my life was hell.

Then it happened. I was walking into the library when I saw him, at a table reading a book. I remembered when I sat there with Talon, on the first day. We were having fun. Now Talon sat there alone. He looked up and saw me. he quickly ducked. I sat across the aisle, sneaking glances at him. It was tearing me apart, how he kept looking at me too. Was it killing him as much as it was killing me? I was dying to know. I was actually going insane. Then a Taylor Swift song came to mind, "The story of us". The lyrics ran through my mind.

**I'd tell you I miss you but I don't know how**

**I've never heard silence quite this loud**

**I'm standing alone, in a crowded room and we're not speaking.**

**And I'm dying to know, is it killing you like it's killing me?**

I even saw the video in my mind. I sighed, raised my hand and waved slightly to him. He responded with a quick wave. I got up, the room was spinning, in a blur.

It seemed like we were the only ones when I finally walked towards him. Talon responded with friendliness, he walked towards me, too. We stood faced, awkwardly looking down.

"I am sorry", I whispered. "Me too", he whispered back.

We walked up to the back row of shelves and smiled at each other. The next thing I knew, I was leaning towards him, he was leaning into me as well. Our faces were mere inches apart. We both filled up the gap quickly. All I knew was the feeling of our kiss, how care free I felt when our lips touched, how safe I felt in his arms. I loved Talon. So much.


	6. Chapter 6

Being with Talon was the only time I didn't worry myself to death about Stephanie and Declan. He completed me. I was at peace in his presence. I think I knew that I loved him all through the time I was avoiding him. And it infuriated me.

I mean, I am Damien Westwood, the anti- romance, love cynic. How could I fall in LOVE? It was impossible. And yet, here I was, defying my own personality.

TALON'S POINT OF VIEW-

Damien had no idea of the mental havoc she was causing to me. I mean, I've been alive for centuries and I've seen girls throw themselves at me. And here was Damien, determined not to do the same. But I guess it was too good to be true. But with Damien, I never felt like she loved me for my looks, I knew she loved me for me. She had dug a little deeper. And being with her made me happy. I wouldn't let anything hurt her any more.

Wait, WHAT?

What was wrong with me? I LOVE Damien?

No I didn't. But I did like her and she was my friend. I think. Then why was I kissing her? Huh, some things are better left unanswered.

I just focused on Damien now, but then it happened….

"I love you, Talon", she whispered. I pulled back, my eyes wide as the terror seized me. this should not be allowed to continue, my mind warned me. she looked confused as my hands began to shake; yes, love scared me.

It was like my instincts took over; I looked into her beautiful eyes with full force. I compelled her with a lot of intensity; "You will forget everything about this moment except that you and Talon became friends again, okay? You don't love him", I said shakily. Damien nodded and her eyes closed. I took her up to her room where she fell asleep.

I went somewhere I could relax. Why had I done that? Now, she would not remember anything. She wouldn't even know that I loved her too.

'Liked. Just as a friend', my mind corrected. I sighed. I trusted myself that it was better this way. I shook it off and went to feed.

I got back from the school blood bank and went to check up on Damien. She was awake. "Hey", I said, walking into the room. She gave me an odd look, touching her lip. I tried to keep my face neutral as I asked her what was wrong.

"Nothing. Did you compel me?", she asked cautiously. I shook my head. "Hmmm… I got a weird feeling. Just a dream I guess", she said.

"Yeah. That must be it", I said and got up to go to the library. "Yeah", she repeated, looking at me, her eyes piercing me.

We went to the library and began to leaf through some books. When we got to the last row, she looked at it strangely and then back at me. I tried to act normal, but a thought haunted me, did she remember?

Nonsense, I may have been a little weak by not feeding, but it worked. I am just being paranoid, I told myself.

Damien and I stayed in the library till about seven in the evening and we went up to get ready for dinner. Dinner at Moon Heaven was very formal, as it was in Eleanor. We had to get dressed for it.

I was still thinking about what I'd done. And the worst part, Damien kept looking at me in a really weird way. I was tearing my insides up with anxiety. Did she know? Would she remember if she went to the library again?

I would have to live in fear forever! Nah, actually I didn't. i could just compel her again, so I had nothing to fear. Just relax, I told myself.

DAMIEN'S POINT OF VIEW-

Okay, for one thing I knew I had been compelled because I woke up from deep sleep at 4:30 pm. I mean, who would sleep at that time? And I felt an intense feeling on my lips. And the other thing was Talon was acting all jumpy the whole time. I knew for sure he had compelled me to forget something. But what was it that he didn't want me to know? I had to get to the bottom of this.

So I knew one way of doing it; read his mind.

Well, don't you worry, I wasn't psychic all of a sudden. If I got him to drink from me, I could read his mind.

"hey, uh, could you drink from me again?" I asked him that night. I could easily see the fear and panic in his eyes; gotcha, Talon!

"N-N-No. I don't need it", he stammered. "But I do. I mean, the venom was such a rush. I want to do it again", I said innocently. He shook his head, "No, it's dangerous. Please be reasonable", he ordered.

"Why, are you scared?", I dared him in a dangerously teasing voice. Talon glared at me but he did nothing. He whirled around and left the room, like a tornado on fire, if that was even possible.

I sighed, I would find out, what ever it took. I had to know what he was hiding from me.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please, Talon?", I begged him, making my 'puppy dog' eyes. I usually got what I wanted when I made the 'puppy dog' face. I knew even Talon wouldn't be able to resist. He rolled his eyes and looked away.

I scowled. I was begging him to let me use his phone. I had to talk to Stephanie and Declan. I was missing them a whole lot more now. I pouted and walked off to the library. Suddenly, Talon's eyes grew wide as he grabbed my hands. He pulled me away from the library entrance. "Can't you go anywhere else?", he asked but I knew there was something he didn't want me to see in the library. Perhaps it was connected to why he compelled me.

The transparent fear in those gorgeous grey blue eyes, which were wide with panic, it was as obvious as he'd opened his mouth and said, "I am hiding something".

I shook him off and walked into the library. I went straight to the last row and squeezed my eyes shut. I sighed and turned around knowing he was standing there. I looked into his eyes and asked him, "What's going on?". He shrugged and walked off. Even with his back turned, I saw his slender shoulders rigid and back decidedly stiff. His effortless fluid movement was still intact, just a little forced. I followed his around, wherever he went, I needed to know.

"Will you PLEASE leave me alone?", he shouted, after enduring my presence for a few days. I simply shook my head, I had no intentions of leaving him alone. I knew that persistence was the only thing that would get him to tell me what was going on.

"Please drink form me", I suggested when I saw his eyes resting on the veins in my wrist. "No thanks", he mumbled, but when he spoke, I saw his fangs had extended.

I knew for a fact that their mechanism was somewhat like tears; you cried when you were full of emotion, similarly, when a vampire was extremely thirsty, fangs extended as if his mouth was watering. And fang movement was controllable, but not when extreme thirst was concerned.

So this was my window of opportunity. I had to convince him to feed now. "Please go feed. The thirst must be unbearably painful now", I said, moving really close to him, knowing it would make things more difficult for Talon.

"You have no idea", he gasped, realizing how close I was. He backed off but I went closer and closer. Talon tried to push me away but he was weak.

"Ooops!", I stumbled against his dressing table and grazed my hand. It didn't really bleed, but it was enough to make Talon lose control. He grabbed my wrist and plunged his fangs into it. 'Finally', I thought as I began to scan through his emotions and memories.

I saw everything, the way he erased my memory after we kissed. It made me unhappy beyond reason. I used the faintly conscious part of my mind to tug against Talon's hold; I had seen enough.

He suddenly let go; his face full of pain and regret. "I am so sorry, but you should have stayed away from me", he whispered. I glared at him, my wrist had sealed up. i just whispered, "I am so sorry for saying that…in the library. I didn't think you would mind but don't worry, it won't EVER happen again", I spoke with acid dripping off my voice. With that, I turned around and left.

Talon made no attempt to stop me.

Now, I had to find a phone. I had to talk to Stephanie and Dex. I needed them. 'Huh?' I was surprised at myself, no emotions at all. It was like I was immune to pain. Maybe I was. That pleased me.

"Uh, yeah I can make it- sure- yes- okay then- thank you", I hung up after making arrangements to meet up with Dex and Stephanie in a week.

That excited me; I tried to keep thinking about how glad I would be when I saw them; looking into their sweet, angelic faces. I plastered a smile on my face, believing it was real.

But after dinner, I was in bed. I curled up into a ball, I realized that my smile was long gone. i also found out that I wasn't immune to emotional pain.

The reason why I wasn't crying about this was because all my emotions had been ripped from me. the pain had numbed me; I wasn't capable of FEELING anymore. Nothing. Just empty. I let the emptiness swallow me into restless, dreamless sleep.

For days, I went about like this; dead to the world. I never spoke to any one, I was always alone. If anyone spoke to me, I answered very tonelessly.

I wouldn't know if it had been snowing or raining or bright and sunny. I was just a living breathing mummy. Frozen and dead.

"Hey, you have a car waiting for you at the gate", Miss Sal told me, breaking into my mind full of nothing. I nodded woodenly.

I didn't even look up as Stephanie and Declan walked into the cafeteria.

"Boo!", the chair I was sitting on suddenly crashed to the floor. I let out a blood curdling scream of terror. I was shocked at myself; I never did that. But I realized I had scared everyone in the room and absolutely FREAKED Stephanie and Dex because they knew that I never did that.

They obviously noted how I didn't smother them, just barely stood up and murmured, "Hey guys", in the same lifeless voice.

Although I was being hugged, I had no strength to return it so I just stood there, fossilized. I was being poked and prodded with questions of why I had become a zombie but I tuned them out, I didn't like the noise.

"You're scaring me", Stephanie finally said, shattering my sound-proof barrier; she was sobbing! Crying so much that Miss Sal hurried over and took her into her arms. Dex had tears brimming over in those angelic eyes. 'No baby, no you don't cry when I'm here', my heart screamed but no sound came from my throat.

"Dex", I croaked out. Stephanie looked up, smiling. "Yes?", she urged me on.

"Steph, I love you guys", I managed, my lips burning. That was probably the first conversation I had had in a week. People had just decided to ignore me.

This probably meant that my numbing 'anesthesia' had faded. Oh no! I knew this was coming…the water works.

I felt Steph and Dex guide me into my room. I blubbered out everything as I sobbed uncontrollably. I didn't know I was asleep till I saw him; Talon.

"Goodbye", he said before he turned to mist.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, readers. You would never believe it, but this chapter was actually my dream. I have tried my best to convey every emotion into the story. Hope you like it! **

"Huh?", I sat up, my eyes blazing with pain as I opened them. I was feeling so cold and damp, and my sleep had been so restless that I was actually just under the surface, not down deep, all night. I looked around my room; the window behind my bed was wide open and it was raining heavily and the wind was icy and gusty. It blew the rain into the room. And here I was, curled up into a ball, on the bed, fully dressed. I glanced in the mirror, I saw a ghost.

My lovely, healthy complexion had given away to paper-white skin. My eyes were just dull, with rings around them. My lips were rimmed white. My cheeks had sunk in, so had my stomach. My arms and legs were like little white sticks.

I hadn't heard my own voice for a while. "My hair", I said, hearing my voice, it had gone soft and shaky. But I could recognize it as my own, faintly. But my hair was just like an alien's. I tugged at it, my grip was too weak. My lovely dark curtain had dropped flat and lifeless.

I got up and pulled a brush through it. And then, after showering, I dressed in dull colours and went down to the breakfast hall, trying to lose my senses in the numbness that had now become the world I knew and loved.

But to my surprise, I couldn't pull inside. I began to notice things, like how stormy and freezing cold it was; how everyone were looking out the window happily and eating hot breakfast in the cafeteria; how nice the school atmosphere was. I was shocked at myself but the cheery surroundings were contagious and I couldn't help but feel okay about not having a haze over me.

But I wasn't happy; not yet. I was not ready for emotions.

But the feeling of helplessness and fragility was so overwhelming that I was jumping at shadows; meaning, I was scared of everything. I walked about, trying not to attract attention to myself, to blend into the back ground. But it was never easy for me, since I was a kid, I had excelled at everything, I was the kind of girl who was always the centre of attention.

But when I entered the deserted hallway, I heard loud argument. I heard a girl screaming, "It's because of you that my sister has become a ghost and YOU, I repeat, YOU are the one who will fix her. Am I making myself clear?".

"Look, all I did…..", a guy replied.

"ALL you did? How can you say that? That's my sister. I love her more than life itself. We both do", a shaky voice shrilled. I recognized all the voices but I didn't try to remember who it was. But when I turned the corner, I saw three pairs of anxious eyes looking back at me; one pale green, wide with sorrow; another pale blue with a burning fire; the last with pain, the most beautiful ones I'd ever seen.

"Damien", a voice called to me as I shrank away. I was too scared to speak and I definitely didn't want any of them to come closer to me.

The girl with the burning blues stepped closer and said, "Hey sis, I love you. Please don't go away", a stabbing pain ripped through my chest as I whispered, "I love you too Steph". The loving greens filled up with tears, "I love you too, Dae", "Me too, Dex", I said, backing away from them just in order to get away from the other one there.

I stumbled off, desperately trying to un-remember who those eyes belonged to. The world swirled as I kept falling down as I tried to run up the corridor. As I fell quite violently tripping, he grabbed me, preventing my face from becoming floor-pie. I looked away, flinching. As soon as I was steady on my feet, I thrashed against the restraining arms, trying to get away, screaming like I was having a seizure the whole time.

"Let her go, Vampire", Stephanie spat on the last word as she yanked me away from my savior and towed me along. Declan followed without a word. Once we were in my room, Stephanie told me to stop crying. Dex gently soothed me until I stopped. Then Stephanie spoke, "Hey, guess what? Dex and I are shifting over to Moon Heaven next week! we can all be together", she smiled as she heard me chuckle. But they both knew it was a weak attempt from my side. "Did the authorities agree to that because they saw what a nutcase I had become?", I asked softly. They vehemently shook their heads. But I knew the truth. They were never good liars.

"But we can't be with you for a week, okay? Promise me that you'll be fine till we get here", Declan pleaded. Stephanie smiled at how grown-up Dex sounded.

"I'll be just fine", I said, smiling happily. I told them I was already better. They hugged me and left, at peace.

My smile instantly drooped. Stephanie and Dex were never good liars.

Fortunately, I was.


	9. Chapter 9

I had managed to convince Dex and Stephanie to leave without worry but I knew I would be far from okay. I wandered out of my room to the ground floor. I sneaked around the yard fences, keeping my mind void of thoughts. It was a really dangerous path. It spread out across a hillside which was really steep and ragged. I was glad I had worn tennis shoes, jeans and a white shirt. I had been wise enough to grab a dark tan cardigan against the cold.

It was really misty and rainy which explained the limited vision and extreme caution I took to trek over the wet and slippery rocks. I went downwards to figure out where this institution exactly was. On the day I came here, I had been asleep the whole journey so I wouldn't have known if we were at the coast or if we were at a desert.

I was inwardly in shock; I was able to think again. The haze was gone. I was able to notice details of where I was and what I was doing. It felt good to see past the cloud and I was enjoying the greenery and ragged rocks on this freezing cold day. The sky was pretty dark; I had better go back once I figured out where Moon Heaven was. I kept walking downhill, savoring the freedom of being out of the gates of an Academy. But I was struggling to keep my thoughts away from the one place they generally strayed towards.

I kept up a steady pace until I reached the bottom of this huge hill. And then, turning back to look at it, I had to admit it was beautiful and somehow it looked fierce. Maybe because of the sharp rocks jutting out.

The whole area was wooded thickly like a tropical rain forest. But the trees were alpine evergreens, covered with a thin layer of icy sleet.

I was surprised that this wasn't the bottom of the hill but merely a sort of landing. I went on and on, trekking lower and lower till I wore myself out. Sitting down underneath a tree in the woods, I felt all the beginnings of a fairy tale. It hit all the clique notes; picturesque spot, tired girl, dark woods and nice shady trees for her to fall asleep under. Now all that was missing was Prince Charming.

I violently shook my head, forcing the thought to leave my mind but its little sparks had set the fire alight. Tears threatened to overflow as I jerked myself up and began walking down the mountain side.

In my haste and anxiety I ignored my logical mind and walked horizontally, across the mountain, not along it. I saw that there was a cliff a little farther to the other face of the mountain. I hurried along, nearly ran over to the cliff.

I peered over the edge and was awestruck by what I saw; the mighty mountain ranges gave away to the ferocious ocean. The coast was just as ragged as the ranges, the rocks lining the beaches were sharp and dragon teeth-like.

It was an overwhelming sense of power to stand over the cliff, feeling ocean bow at my feet and mountains rising protectively behind me. I stepped closer to the edge of the cliff and pretended to fall over. The very thought exhilarated me and I stepped away, gasping for breath.

I wheeled around to leave and it began to rain suddenly. The ocean seemed to come alive and scream with rage as it's waves crashed on the beaches and the rocks at the bottom of my cliff. I ran away from this gorgeous spot to get somewhere dry. I could barely see two feet in front of me but I still ran hard.

Running up a ragged mountain during a downpour; not such a good idea. I was basically feeling my way around. I had no idea if I was going the right way. Was I going in circles? Once I thought of this, I froze. I couldn't make myself move forward. I just stood alone in the rain, cold, scared, depressed. Unwanted thoughts about why I was even in this situation crept up and I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing them away. But like moths to a flame, they hounded me.

I gripped my hair, screaming into the rain. I had no control over myself as I began to run.

Which way was I going? Was I even awake? I had no clue. Just running and screaming. My heart was hammering in my chest; I knew their beats were numbered. I mean, there was no way I was going to get out of this little escapade alive, right?

Take one bad step and ….bang! You're dead!

My foot slipped as I clambered over the rocks. I steadied myself but it scared me and I began to move faster. It happened a lot and I was getting more and more agitated.

I may have been running for hours or minutes, I didn't know. Suddenly, I heard a noise like there was somebody with me in the rain. Standing close enough to sense. I shook it off but deciding it was better to go down again, I turned around.

"Uh", was all I could say as my foot slipped and I began to fall headlong down the extremely steep mountain. No doubt I would fall down the cliff within moments.

Dead.

In the dark, a hand shot out and grabbed mine. But I was convinced I was going to drag the person with me. The person's arms encircled me and held me up. I shrieked and cringed away; I was still against being touched by anyone.

But the person chuckled, relief was apparent in the voice. And the person began to move, not really taking much effort to get over the rocks. But I was preoccupied by how fast the rain was sweeping over me, like we were moving at a 100 mph. We probably were.

I cringed into the person, feeling his muscular and yet lean build. I was safe with him, I knew it. Looking up at his face, all I saw were blue rings like an ocean, grey in the moonlight. Then all was black.

When I woke up, there was a bandage around my head. I was in my room and I was being laid on my bed carefully. I jerked away from my savior and he let me drop onto the bed. I rolled away form him and stood up, ready to defend myself. I saw the moon-kissed blues and felt calm spread over me. But compulsion so weak that it didn't even work and the eyes closed in pain. It was obvious he hadn't fed in a few weeks.

Which was nearly always fatally dangerous.

"Why haven't you fed?", I couldn't believe I was speaking to him after all he did to me. I could hear no reply and I knew why.

"Why, Damien? How can you bear to talk to me after everything I did to you? I turned you into a zombie, Damien. And you almost died because of me and here you are, asking me why I haven't FED", he growled. He climbed over the bed and grabbed my shoulders. "Why?", from his voice I knew he was ravaged.

"You saved my life", I informed him. Talon, I reminded myself the name, a thrill going through me. He rolled his eyes and turned to leave, seeing me shaking in his grip. But as he wheeled around, he suddenly caught the bed posts and sank down dizzily. I rushed to help him. He flinched and got up, only to fall back down.

This time, Talon had no strength to get up and he just looked at me, helpless.

i silently held up my wrist and he shook his head. Talon managed to get up and walk to the door, needing the frame for support.

I rolled my eyes at his ego, pulling him against myself as I led him to his room. "Don't DO this, Damien", he begged, trying to get away. But his attempt was so weak that it was hard to believe he was trying.

I had never known vampires became this weak without blood. If I blew hard enough, he would easily topple over. I looked at Talon as we walked, deep in thought. He was wincing with pain, making me look over him to see if he was okay. I caught sight of it, a horrible cut on his wrist. It was so long, it nearly went up to his upper arm. It was extremely deep and wide too. Like a knife was dragged deep, through his arm.

Talon felt me looking at the cut and tugged his sleeve to hide it. "Why haven't you healed yet?", I stopped walking and let him lean against the wall.

"He shrugged, "I guess because I haven't fed in a little while, I can't heal. But I'll be fine", as he was speaking he seemed to swoon. I held Talon against the wall but he no longer stood on his own. He just dropped down underneath me. I held him up and managed to lead him to his room that was close by. I laid him on the bed and picked up a in that was on his bedside table and gently pressed it into the skin of my palm. Beads of blood oozed out. I held it his mouth and saw his eyes snap open. I saw one thing that was clear in them; hunger.

But Talon pursed his lips and stopped breathing. His eyes were tightly shut. "Get out", he whispered. I didn't move; stubbornly holding my hand there. He growled and opened his eyes to look into mine, "Please, go. I can't hurt you anymore. Please. Please", he begged. I pulled my hand away, hating myself for it.

"I am so sorry, I had no right to hurt you", he mumbled as consciousness slipped away from him. I jumped up and left the room, pain ripping me into pieces.

"I love you".

"What?" I spun around and looked into the dark room. Had I heard right? But he was out cold. Panic rolled down me as I rushed to find a teacher this late at night. Talon had to get help. He had gone too far with this. I found Mr. Gray in the teacher's hallway; "Mr. Gray! Hurry! Talon…...he's not had any blood for a few weeks, he's dying!", I was nearly sobbing. Mr. Gray and I went into the room to find Talon in a dangerous state; he had gone paler than he usually was, his face was moist and his skin was colder than ice. There were bruise-shadows under his eyes which meant he was really ill. But Mr. Gray knew what he was doing.

He had a bag of blood which he injected into Talon's wrist. He hadn't put in much but Talon woke up and shook his head weakly. "N-N-No I'll drink tomorrow, I promise", he shivered. Mr. Gray nodded and left.

I sat by his bed side, as his eyelids drooped with exhaustion. I had an idea.

I asked him, "Talon, why did you do it?", I was curious to see what he would assume I was asking him and answer.

"Damien, you would die if you'd fallen downhill. I had to save you", he said.

"That's not what I was asking", I told him, hoping to extract something else.

"I gave you my blood because I knew you would die without it. You're almost healed now. You didn't heal completely because I hadn't fed in 3 weeks", he mumbled.

"Still not what I asked", I added, hiding my shock.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you. I didn't deserve to drink blood and grow healthy", he sighed, drifting off.

I didn't know what had happened to me but I had forgotten how horrid I had felt. How his rejection had hurt me far more than not seeing Stephanie and Dex. How I had internally died when I found out. With him, I was complete. I was never dead in the first place; I became more alive than I had ever been. All I cared about was Talon's health.

And from what I knew about him, he wouldn't drink blood tomorrow either. He would put it off as long as he could. And his main objective was to die.

But I had other plans for him.


	10. Chapter 10

TALON'S POINT OF VIEW-

"Hey", she whispered, coming into my room the next morning. God, she looked so beautiful. But I looked into her eyes and saw the evidence of tears in them. I sighed internally; only Damien would be stupid enough to worry herself to tears about a vampire who hurt her to no limit and almost caused her to die.

And only Damien would be dumb enough to walk into a room with a blood-starved vampire who found her blood intoxicatingly delicious.

"Go", I groaned, looking away from her, trying very hard not to hear her heartbeat accelerating when she came in and saw me. Ooooh yes, the blood rushing in her veins. Only one snap away from being in MY mouth.

Stop it, I told myself. Of course Damien wouldn't mind me drinking from her. She even offered it. But I don't want to live through the pain again; to see what I had done to her, in her mind. And I also didn't want her to see how painful it was for me to just act like I didn't need blood when every ounce of my being was screaming for it.

"You're stronger", Damien nodded at my relaxed sitting position by the window. She obviously thought I'd drunk blood.

Well, I had eaten some food. When I ate meat, I felt a little better. At least I didn't collapse. That's what counted. I would survive for a few more days if I still didn't feed. Which was exactly what I wanted.

I stood up to assure Damien that I was fine when I felt sick. Like I was going to throw up. But….wait, vampires don't get sick. No, I corrected myself, a HEALTHY vampire didn't get ill or hurt. Now I was way beyond healing. The more you drink, the faster you heal. Simple logic.

I shook off my queasiness and looked into Damien's eyes; she was looking at me, making sure I had fed. Apparently, she saw that I hadn't and glared at me.

"Please, Talon. Please drink from me", I heard her pulse spike up when she said my name. I glowered. How the hell could she still like me?

I tried to ignore the pain in my throat as Damien stepped closer. I inched away, trying to not be conspicuous about it. But her razor sharp grey eyes caught me.

"Why are you doing this? I don't see how you'll benefit from STARVING yourself to death", she yelled at a hungry vampire. Was she even in her senses?

"Please. You need to go now. I can't risk your life like this. If I lose control now, I may drain you completely", I snarled.

"No", was her simple answer.

The effects of my solid meal were wearing off and my legs gave away suddenly. I sank onto my bed. She rolled her eyes and sat down beside me. "You're not going to feed, are you?", she asked, exasperated.

I shook my head, swallowing the saliva that pooled in my mouth because she was sitting so close. Oh darn, she noticed it and smiled. Had this girl seriously lost her mind? I guess my rejection had made her suicidal, because she slid closer to me. I swallowed again, surprised by how quickly it was filled up again. _Oh please, Damien, don't do this to me, _I mentally begged her, cringing away as she came closer.

"What's wrong?", she asked innocently.

"Nothing", I replied. I couldn't keep this up for long; I knew I would snap soon.

"Then why are you moving away from me?", she asked touching my hand.

"Uh..", I said, withdrawing my hand. Oh shoot! My fangs were extending!

DAMIEN'S POINT OF VIEW-

As he edged away, I saw his fangs extending. Now it would only be a matter of time. And I was in NO hurry. I would get what I wanted, just like always.

I closed in on my 'prey', as he ran out of space to move away from me. I gently leaned into him. Talon gasped and pushed me back. He couldn't even move me.

"Weakling", I chucked, not moving away.

Talon couldn't even speak, his fangs glistening with venom. I noticed how he was swallowing again and again. His salivary glands were working overtime. His breathing was ragged as I pressed him into the wall and leaned into him.

"Stubborn one, aren't ya", I whispered into his ear. I pulled out a pin from my pocket and pierced my wrist.

And that was it.

Talon's angel eyes glazed and he transformed into a different being. My wrist was crushed to his lips as he drew in my blood hungrily. I just lost myself in heaven. It was like living through the coldest day without any warmth and then to find lovely sunlight. Bliss would have been enjoyable, if it weren't for Talon's unhappy mind. He hated himself for doing that to me. And was going to kill himself through starvation. Too bad I had to ruin it.

My wrist didn't have enough blood for him and he eagerly pulled me into him. His teeth sank into my neck, where Dex and Stephanie had been bitten. It was then, that I lost track of time.

When I opened my eyes, Talon's were looking down at me anxiously. One look at his face and I knew, he was still thirsty. "Are you okay?", he said, his voice irritable. I nodded and held up my wrist again.

He scowled at me. I sighed. I had to think of something again. "What the hell is wrong with you?", he snapped. I glanced at his arm and saw that the wound had barely healed. Which meant he barely had any blood.

Now it was my turn to scowl at him. "Why didn't you drink a little more? I'd be fine", I sounded angry, like he had done something wrong.

"Please tell me you're kidding", he groaned.

"At least go to the blood bank", I suggested. He only shook his head and checked my vitals and sighed.

I looked at him, agonized, as he grabbed a knife and pulled it through the wound again. He pressed his arm into my mouth as the blood flowed in. His blood tasted amazing. I would have enjoyed more but I was trying to push his hand away. I easily succeeded since he was, now, weaker than ever.

"You'll be fine now", he said faintly.

I wondered why he was THIS weak. I mean he drank enough from me to make him feel a lot better. "Why are you still weak?", I demanded.

"I threw up all the blood", he admitted, looking like he would cry.

"You THREW up my blood?", I screamed, missing something.

"That's why I let you drink from me; so you wouldn't be affected. Vampire blood heals you fast. I …..loved your…blood, Damien", he mumbled awkwardly.

"Then why waste it?", I softened my tone, seeing how bad he felt for doing it.

"I don't want it. I don't need it", he whispered, his eyes closing as he laid down on the bed.

"Liar. I saw you, Talon. I saw how the smell of my blood made you go mad with need. Your mouth was watering like crazy. And I do mean, crazy, even for a blood-crazed vampire", I knew it was useless. He would resist with all his might now. And now, he was too weak to even feel the thirst.

He was suddenly unmoving beside me. It scared me out of my wits. I shook him hard, "Hey Talon, wake up. Wake up. Come on, please", I begged, nearing tears.

His lips moved slightly; he was speaking to me but he couldn't get out a sound.

He looked so vulnerable, so defenseless. I kissed him lightly on the lips, hoping we BOTH would forget that one. And I got up to get him help. I stopped at the doorway, looking back at Talon.

"Please be okay. Please. I can't live with myself if you got hurt", I said_. Because I love you,_ I silently added, turning away.


	11. Chapter 11

TALON'S POINT OF VIEW-

The grip I had on the world was slipping away from me, hopefully forever. I had hurt people a lot in my time. This was the fate I deserved. Goodbye world.

I felt Damien shaking me. I wanted to say "Hey, stop it. Accept the fact that I'm gone. Let it go", but my body had completely lost itself.

"I can't live with myself if you got hurt", I heard Damien.

_No, please don't say that. Don't even think that. _

I felt a light kiss on my lips. I frowned internally when she backed away. I wasn't done yet. I knew it, Damien was gone. So was her heart that fluttered excitedly when she kissed me. I wanted her to come back. I wanted to hear her heart beat one last time before I would be no more.

Oh well, sometimes, last wished don't come true.

_Thank you, Damien. You were able to forgive me for the monster I had been to you. I'll think of you forever. I'll miss you. I promise to watch over you from time to time. I can still protect you. Be safe. _

DAMIEN'S POINT OF VIEW-

No! no! no! He can't die. He CAN'T die. He can't DIE!

I was running along with the hospital gurney on which my angel's lifeless form had been strapped. I was screaming at him. He had no right to leave me.

How could he leave me? After everything I had done for him? No, I wouldn't let him go away. _Please Talon, don't leave me alone again._

I banged on the hospital surgery door, demanding that they let me see him. I had to be with him. He needed me. More than that, I needed him.

I didn't respond when I felt Stephanie and Dex wrap their arms around me to soothe me. Somebody must have called them here to pacify me.

Well, it wasn't working.

After what seemed like an eternity, the surgery room door opened. A middle aged doctor came out, looking relaxed. I leapt up to him, "Is he okay?".

"He's fine, Ms Westwood. He's stubborn and horribly irritated that he was given blood. But other than his injured ego, he's fine", the doctor smiled and showed me into the room.

My eyes darted eagerly to the bed where Talon lay, I ran my eyes over him, his dark hair fallen over his forehead, his pale skin and his mouth set into a scowl looking up at the ceiling. I sat by his bedside, waiting for him to acknowledge me.

"What do you want?", Talon asked, not looking at me.

"An apology, and a promise", I retorted.

"Sorry", he pouted at me like a five year old. I laughed. "What promise?", he asked.

"Promise me that you'll drink blood properly from now on. No pig headedness. Okay?", I told him sternly.

He shook his head, "No way, you don't get to tell me what to do", did he even realize how adorable he looked when he was pouting and acting like a baby?

I shook away that thought, "Uh, yeah. I do get to tell you. Now shut up and drink", I ordered. He simply rolled his eyes.

We just chit-chatted for a while. And then, the principal of Moon Heaven, Mr. Wren Sprite came in to tell us something.

"Hello, uh, Talon. I hope you're feeling better. I just have to inform you that you'll have to go to the Edmunds' mansion for a month to recuperate. And of course, Stephanie and Declan will be joining both of you. You'll find it an interesting experience, I suppose", he smiled at us and left.

I looked at Talon questioningly. He sighed, "Well, some acquaintance of the school's has a rehab center and it's also to learn values of life and stuff. We're going to have to go there because I tried to kill myself, blah, blah, blah", he shrugged.

"But then, I would really like to go. I haven't met my good friend, Rane Edmund for about 20 years", he smiled.

"20 YEARS? How old are you?", I asked curiously. He looked about 18. Talon grinned at my confused face.

"I am about 500 years old. But I was turned when I was 18. You'll be turned too, don't forget", he laughed, his voice like crystal bells blowing in the wind.

Talon looked like he was going to say something but he just smiled and said, "You'll see for yourself when you get there". Something about this struck him funny. He kept chucking and it got me more and more agitated. I mean, the sound made him so irresistible. Wait…what?

I shook my head to try and clear it.

"Um, so, what time do we leave?", I cleared my throat self consciously. I was feeling really awkward, which was unusual for me because Dorothy, the imposter who I was raised by, had trained me well.

Talon thought for a moment and said, "I think in about half an hour. I heard Mr. Sprite telling Mr. Gray. Uh, super vamp hearing", he shrugged.

Soon, the two of us were riding in the back of a silver hybrid, on our way to the Edmunds' mansion. I was told then Stephanie and Declan would come there in a week's time. Apparently, this place was like a bonding club and we had to go with our creators. I was annoyed that I would have to spend a month under the same roof with crazy Blondie. My over protective side towards Stephanie and Dex was showing again. And Talon thought it was hilarious.

We passed the lovely, ragged coast and went into the mountain terrain. It was beautiful ride through the greenery.

We reached the mansion in 2 hours. It was very lonely and beautifully nestled in a valley. I could just imagine being comfortable here. I mean, the house was huge like a palace. It looked inviting and I walked up to the door. But I didn't want to knock so I glanced back at Talon. He was standing with his back to me, looking at the scenery.

Then suddenly, the heavens opened up and it began to pour. I was about to step away from the mansion porch when I saw Talon's shirt was soaked through, showing off his chiseled muscles. I just stared at him, my heart pounding. Oh god, he was so … drool-worthy.

The phrase popped in my mind, but I ignored it and just couldn't look away. I finally stopped my ogling and walked up to him.

TALON'S POINT OF VIEW-

I was just enjoying the scenery when I heard it. The steady beat of Damien's heart became crazy stuttering and pounding. I knew why and I groaned. What was wrong with her? Did she not hate me for everything I had done to her?

Then I heard Rane's footsteps and wheeled around, ignoring Damien who was standing beside me.

"Hey Rane!" I bashed my shoulder blade into his chest, throwing him into the house again. We wrestled and I felt like a child again. It was just so much fun being with Rane. He was really funny, perky, carefree and just bright.

I glanced away from Rane and looked up at Damien, whose heart had clamed down considerably.

"Damien, this is Rane Edmund. Rane, this is Damien Westwood", I said formally as Damien extended her hand and Rane ignored it, pulling her into a bear hug.

I laughed softly, noting Damien's shocked expression. Then I suddenly remembered Rane's special talent. He could read minds.

I gently put up a mental wall to block him. But I didn't tell Damien. I thought I would ask him to tell me what she was thinking, later.

Evil of me.

Rane gave me a funny look, probably noticing the wall. He couldn't break it easily, only when I let my guard down. And after a few days Rane could actually telepathically communicate with a person. But my thoughts kept wandering to Damien. How her heart began to hammer why she saw me like that. It was getting on my nerves. Maybe it was just my vampire body she found appealing, I told myself. I mean, I was really good looking to humans. But I really wanted her to forget about what had happened between us in the past and just focus on being friends. But did I really want to be just friends with her? JUST friends?

I didn't know. But I forced myself not to think about it and I sat down on the couch and stretched, relaxing.

Finally, I thought, sighing. This was what I really had come here to do. Relax.

DAMIEN'S POINT OF VIEW-

I was speaking to Rane, just small talk. And I saw Talon laying out on the couch and closing his eyes. He was so sleek and streamlined when he just stretched out, like a panther in the sun.

I just looked at him, unable to stop my heart from accelerating. _This guy saved your life TWICE,_ I reminded myself. And well, I liked him. _Liked or…loved?_

I reluctantly tore my eyes away from Talon and looked back at Rane. Rane was looking at me with an amused expression. We spoke for a while about my family and about Talon's 'incident'.

Then he got up to poke the fire in the huge ornate fireplace. Suddenly, the way I kissed Talon when he passed out and the way we kissed in the library flashed in my mind, sharper than anything. I just dwelled in the moment of the library.

Rane suddenly coughed like he was being choked or suffocated. But the corners of his lips were pulled up. I narrowed my eyes at him, thinking he was hearing my heartbeat.

Rane shook his head, "I really didn't need to see that". I just stared at him, not getting what he wanted to say. He grinned.

"You really like him, don't you?", he asked.

I shrugged, "He's a good friend".

"That's not exactly what I was getting at", Rane smiled and told me that he read minds. Then embarrassment surged through me. Had he really seen all that?

"Yeah, I did. Sorry", he laughed. I groaned.

"Uh, it's okay. I won't tell him anything. I know the…..situation between you two is weird. But I promise to help you out if you tell me the whole story", h snickered, enjoying himself.

I sharply glanced at Talon's sleeping form. But Rane assured me he was deeply asleep and Rane could even see his dreams. But I still shook my head.

"Later", he mumbled.

I sighed; I couldn't wait for Stephanie and Dex to come.


	12. Chapter 12

I walked into my room, which was large and luxurious. Like the rest of the house, it had a light wall color and dark furniture and drapery. I felt home in this place. I unpacked and explored the large mansion. I found Stephanie and Declan's rooms. Apparently they were coming with Chad and Clove. And possibly, Loraine, Ken and Jesse would join us.

It would be a fun place to be. But thinking about Rane, I wanted him to stay out of my life. He was downright nosy. I scowled and walked down the massive staircase. At the bottom, I saw Rane bouncing around, smiling at me. it was such a cute sight, like he was a little boy. I grinned back, unable to stop myself.

Then he studied me and pouted. "Why do you think like that about me?", he asked gravely. He looked so serious that I felt terrible to have hurt him.

"Damn right, you have to feel bad", he smiled a little.

I laughed. Rane's little antics were so endearing. I pulled him into a hug.

"Glad you think so. Am I really THAT cute?", he winked. He put his arms around me and laughed.

Suddenly I heard a throat clearing. I glanced to see Talon, standing a little away from us, his eyes darkly taking in our close posture. I immediately wanted to jerk away from Rane. But then a thought hit me, he DIDN'T love me. he wasn't my boyfriend or anything. Then what right did he have on who I chose to be with?

I glared at him and Rane whispered, "I agree with you. But only slightly; he doesn't love you….yet".

"Well, a little jealousy couldn't hurt, right?" I suggested, smiling.

"Diabolical. I like it", Rane teased me.

"Are you both done?", Talon snapped. His tone was a lot more irritated then it should have been. I just giggled, moving away from Rane.

Talon rolled his eyes. He pushed past Rane and me and went up to the rooms. I shook my head at him, knowing he was still listening in on us.

"When are the others going to get here?" I asked Rane. I wanted to make sure Clove and Chad stayed away from Stephanie and Dex. Rane laughed.

"A little overbearingly protective, aren't ya? Well, they're due here tomorrow. They're coming early because of some issues at school. But Loraine, Ken and Jesse are coming in a week later and they're staying just for a few days", he assured me. I nodded, hoping tomorrow would get here soon enough.

I ran eagerly down the stairs as the car rolled in. out stepped Stephanie and Chad. I pulled her into my arms, hugging and kissing her.

"Hey Chad", I greeted him, finally letting Stephanie go. He returned the greeting, grinning. Stephanie and Chad walked arm in arm, to explore the house as I watched, woebegone. Stephanie had come to spend time with me, not ….

Well, she can't be chained to my side all the time, I reminded myself. But I couldn't shake away the feeling of hatred and disappointment.

Dex and Clove stepped out of the other side. I went to do to Dex what I had with Stephanie but as soon as he got out, Clove kissed him lovingly on the lips. He grinned at her.

I dropped my wide open arms and just stared at him in rage. I turned away and sprinted into the woods to be alone. Tears flowed freely and I made no attempt to stop them. I had to cry out my sorrows at the moment. I sat down under a tree and cried for an hour. I cried for Mom and Dad, missing them for the first time in 15 years; I cried for Stephanie and Declan; I cried for my friends at Eleanor; and most of all, for Talon.

I was in deep shock, how could Damien Westwood, the most diplomatic and practical person CRY? It was truly unacceptable. As I walked back, I had a firm plan in mind. I knew what I had to do, Damien style.

I was greeted in the living room by all of them, sitting and looking worried. Stephanie jumped up to hug me, "I was so scared. Where were you?".

I gently stepped away from her hug. Her expression crossed from confusion to hurt. "What's wrong?", she asked, trying to hide how much my actions affected her. I shrugged and tried to walk away. Dex block me, "Dae, I didn't even hug you when I came here", and he pulled me into him. I pushed him away, trying not to hurt him. But his eyes revealed that I hadn't succeeded. I patted his hand and walked away. Everyone was asking me question but all I said was, "I'm fine. I just went out for a walk. See you later", and I climbed the stairs.

Rane came up with his vampire speed and blocked me, "Are you really okay?".

I assured him that I was great and went on my way. I had kept my voice cool and emotionless. No one could really know how I was feeling.

I went down at dinner and joined in the chatter as lively as everyone else were. But only with Stephanie and Declan, I was less that interested to speak and joke. I just curtly addressed them and turned away, seeming too eager to look away from them. And I acted like Clove didn't even exist. I plainly ignored her cold glare and fury. I was fine with Chad, Talon and Rane. We kept up an animated conversation.

I went up to bed and suddenly found myself being grabbed. I was now in a closet inside a staircase that went above my floor. "Whoa!" I exclaimed in annoyance.

"Shhh. No one must know we're here", Talon brushed his finger against my lips, obviously hearing my heart's reaction to that. But I jerk away to get free. The closet was smaller than I thought. Talon and I could not even move and we were crushed into it together.

"What is wrong with you? I saw how bad you made Stephanie and Dex feel. What do you want from them? And where were you all afternoon?", his voice was getting more and more agitated by the minute.

"I went out for a while. And I have no idea what you're talking about", I retorted.

"Don't kid around with me, Damien. I need to know why you've been acting weird lately", he was clueless. Of course he hadn't seen how Stephanie and Dex just ignored me. When I was dying to see them. I told him that and I felt him sigh when his cool breath fanned my face. I could barely make out his face in the darkness. And we were just so close…

It seemed to occur to us both at the same time and Talon jerked the door open. We both tumbled out and were greeted by a chuckle. I glanced up to see Rane grinning from ear to ear.

"So….i don't mean to pry, but, uh, what were you two doing in the closet in the dark together at night?", he made it sound so embarrassing.

"We weren't…I mean, we were just", Talon struggled.

"Oh right! You were….", Rane laughed.

"Look Rane, you were reading my thoughts I am sure, and you would have known what we were doing", I stated.

"Oh no, I didn't. I didn't want to listen to you two…..", he snickered.

I rolled my eyes but the blush was unavoidable. Talon stood rigid next to me. Rane showed us no mercy, teasing and laughing until Talon tackled him to the ground. I shook my head at their immature wrestling and called out, "Good night Rane. Good night….T-Talon", I stuttered at his name.

"OOOOHHHH, good night sweetie", Rane mimicked and yelled out an apology when he was being pounded by Talon.

I escaped into my room and locked the door thankfully. I turned around to plop down onto the bed when an arm grabbed me in the dark. I shrieked and spun around to face the person. The light flicked on to reveal Stephanie and Dex, looking at me with pained expressions.

"Jeez, not again!" I groaned. I was tired of explaining myself. I had to assure Talon and then Rane. Now them too? No way! I was beyond tired and hurt. I needed my personal space.

"Guys please, you need to go. Now. I am really tired and sleepy. I would appreciate it if I could just relax for a while. So…", I held the door open for them. But they just looked at me, stubbornly waiting for me to apologize.

"Please leave. You aren't welcome in here now", I snapped. Declan's eyes were filled with tears and Stephanie's brimmed over. Stephanie bolted out the room and Dex went after her. He stopped at the door and whispered, "We still love you, Dae", and was gone. I sighed and leaned into the doorframe. I glanced out and saw Rane and Talon staring at me with wide eyes.

"Now what do YOU want?", I yelled and banged my door shut.

I tossed and turned all night and finally got up to talk to Talon or Rane. I needed one or both of them. I silently tip toed out of the room and went up the small staircase to Talon's and Rane's rooms. I was walking blindly when I ran into something hard and cold. But it felt nice.

I realized that it was Talon!

"Uh…..i was coming to speak to you", I said, not moving away so my face was against his chest. He didn't move either.

"Why?", he asked.

"I had to….", I was interrupted by a voice from behind Talon.

"Well, well, well, are you two at it again? Really you must remember you aren't completely alone here, at the landing. Perhaps the rooms would have been okay", Rane snickered.

I felt Talon growl and then step away from me. "Damien had to talk to us", he said. Rane nodded.

"Duh. I read minds here! I know what she needs to ask and I have the answer too", he smiled.

"You were too tough on them", Talon told me when I explained. I shook my head.

I was not done with them yet.


	13. Chapter 13

Rane and Talon lectured me about what I was doing. But I was firmly convinced that I was doing what had to be done. Rane had taken some pills and dropped off

into a deep sleep. Good, he would listen to my thoughts while I did some planning. I was on my way downstairs when someone grabbed me and pulled me into the closet below the stairs.

Talon.

We crushed closer than ever now. "What, are we making this our routine?", I asked him. He didn't reply. I pushed him aside to leave but he didn't budge.

"Going to see Rane?", he snapped, an undercurrent to his emotions.

I just looked at him, hurt that he had assumed that. He sighed and apologized since that was uncalled for.

"But what you're doing to Stephanie and Dex is wrong. They don't deserve it. Why are you being like this?", he asked.

"Well, I loved them but they didn't love me. So I'm moving on", I spoke tonelessly.

"You think they don't LOVE you?", Talon snapped.

"I know they don't", I stated.

Talon gripped me and pulled me closer, probably to intimidate me. But it had the opposite effect; my heart began to hammer ten times harder and faster. Talon heard it and groaned. "I hate it when that happens", he muttered and dropped his hands.

"So why do you think they don't love you. They didn't mean to avoid you. They're in love, that's all", he spoke coldly but his voice never failed to excite my heart, it began to race. Talon's face clouded. There was emotion I couldn't place.

"Well it's not the love. Trust me", I said. "I'm in love too. But I never let love come in the way of Stephanie and Declan".

"Y-y-you're in…l-love?", there were so many emotions washing over those words that I couldn't even process them.

"Uh, I-uh- I guess I am", I looked down, blushing.

The expression on his face puzzled me.

"Who's the lucky guy?", he managed but emotion colored his voice. He was whispering, like he was about to cry. Like he was terribly unhappy.

"Rane?", he asked softly, almost as if he was bracing himself to hear it.

"Oh my god! I just don't believe this! Are you seriously asking me who I love?", I shouted. I cut him off before he spoke, "I can't even believe that we are talking about this. I mean, I forgave you after everything you did to me. I told you I loved you, you compelled me to forget, then I saw it, I became a zombie, I almost killed myself and you saved me, you tried to commit suicide for hurting me by starving yourself and I forgave you in a heartbeat. Now you're asking me who I LOVE?"

Oops the wall I had built to suppress my feeling crumpled to dust.

"Do you know how it feels like to know that even if you hurt me today I could never stay mad at you? I would take you back at once. Knowing that I would and could never stay away from you? Knowing what effects you have on me? Knowing that I would stay with you no matter how much you hurt me. And I could give my life for you without a second thought. Do you know how it feels to stand before you feeling like this? I LOVE YOU, damn it!", I screeched and sobbed uncontrollably.

I began to sink to the ground, my face in my hand when Talon gently pulled me up. I flinched from his touch.

He pulled me into his chest where I sobbed my heart out. No matter the extreme diplomatic, practical person that I was, when it came to the matters of the heart, you always turn gooey.

I didn't know how long I had been sobbing because I knew at that moment, that I wanted to run away. Talon knew that I loved him more that he could ever imagine. And he would never feel the same way about me.

I lifted my head and tried to run away but Talon caught me.

"Where are you going?", he whispered. I pulled against him but I gave up and sighed. He sighed too, his cool breath fanning my over heated face.

Talon leaned into me, brushing his lips to mine. I instinctively froze. But my insides were churning. Did he feel the same way about me? I sooooo wanted to kiss him back. But I stood rigid.

"Don't fight it, Damien. Don't", he said against my lips. I tried to stop, believe me, but I couldn't. I gave in almost willingly and returned every bit of his passion.

I had lost track of time and when we broke apart, gasping, I just pushed past him and walked into my room. I locked the door and leaned against it, biting my lip. Gosh, I was feeling so good. I was gushing with joy. I fell into a lovely dreamless sleep.

I woke up, certain it was a dream. But I wasn't entirely sure. I walked down the stairs and looked at the dining table. Everybody was seated and looked up at me. but my eyes caught Talon. He looked into my eyes and smiled widely, like he was excited to see me. Was it real? I sat down across from him, cautiously boring my eyes into him. He grinned.

Rane looked annoyed and moody.

"What's up?", I asked him. He shrugged.

"I am on pills so I can't read anyone's minds", I smiled and sighed in relief. I was so glad he couldn't see the hysteria in me. But everyone could hear my heart thumping hard. I kept looking into Talon's eyes hoping to see if I could get a clue as to whether last night was a dream.

Then I felt Talon's legs nudge my knee. I stiffened and pulled my legs back. I noticed a flash of pain in his eyes but he just looked into his meal.

I steered clear from him all day. I didn't want him to know how amazing I felt when I got a notion that perhaps he didn't hate me so much. Talon tried to catch my eye all day but I stayed away from everybody. I was still acting like Blondie didn't exist. I didn't speak to anyone either. Not even Rane.

"Did anyone hear shouting last night?", Stephanie said, during dinner. I choked on the food I was eating and dropped my fork.

"W-what?", I stammered.

"Yeah we all heard shouting from Talon's floor or even above that. And then we heard sobs. Were you crying, Damien?", Stephanie's sharp eyes caught me blushing.

"How could you make that assumption, Stephanie?", I snapped. "Excuse me", and I left the table. I needed to think. So it WAS real.

I lay on my bed and fell asleep.

I woke up when I felt cool hands, touching my forehead softly. I glanced up to see Talon sitting on the bed next to me.

"What are you doing here?", I mouthed.

"Watching you sleep", he smiled, making me sit up. I studied him gravely for a moment.

"Penny for your thoughts", he said leaning in. As if he expected me to be able to speak when he did that.

I lost myself when he pressed his lips to mine. I drifted to sleep, listening to the almost non existent beating of my vampire's heart.

When I woke my, my hands automatically felt around for Talon. But I was alone. Rejection washed over me. I sat up and got dressed mechanically. I went downstairs, trying to hide my anxiety to see him. I saw Rane lounging around.

"Where is he? Talon?", I squealed looking around wildly.

Rane looked surprised and amused.

"I didn't know you cared so much. Well, I don't know where he is. He went off to the forest or something", Rane motioned towards the door.

I bolted out before he could even ask me. I ran by Stephanie ignoring her confused expression. Outside, it was bright and a little sunny. The forest looked lovely. But I was just focusing on finding Talon.

Then a thought hit me; why was I looking for him? I didn't really have anything to say to him. I made a face and turned around to go back.

I was walking when I realized I hadn't come that way before. I went the other way and soon found out that I had gone in deeper. I spun around and re-traced my steps back, but then I saw a huge tree and realized that I hadn't ever passed that. This way and that way, I kept walking before accepting that I was completely and hopelessly lost.

And everyone back at the house would think I was with Talon and wouldn't even worry. Okay, maybe when he went back, they would look for me. Maybe they wouldn't even find me. I would probably die before then. After all, this was a risky area.

But I never gave up hope that I should find my way back and I kept walking. I must have walked for over five hours and at least a hundred miles. I had left the house at around 9am and now it was well over 4pm now. Still no sign of being able to find my way out of this maze.

I suddenly heard rustling behind me. A wave of joy hit me. Had Talon found me? Was I safe now? I eagerly turned around and looked but I saw no one. Strange. I turned to leave ad I heard it again.

"Who's there?", I called weakly. As expected I didn't receive a reply. i slowly wheeled back. To my violent shock, a face was breathing down into mine as I turned. All I could see with my blurred vision was a pair of sharp teeth sticking out on the man's lower lip. Fangs!

Then all went black.


	14. Chapter 14

I could see nothing at all. I thought my eyes were shut. I blinked desperately, trying to open them. But then I realized that they were open. But it was so pitch black here that I could see nothing at all.

Wait…where was I?

I dug into my memory to understand what had happened to me.

I barely remembered last night, Talon, I fell asleep, Rane told me about the forest, I was walking on and on, then…..

Even my memory blanked out as if had been erased. But I fought the urge to relax my mind and muscles and forced myself to remember. I pressed into my mind, trying to work past the fog. Then it hit me…. a wave of white hot pain! It shot through my head like a laser, causing me to scream out in pain.

The laser pain seemed to split open my head, exposing the sensitive nerves to the air. This made every one of my senses tingle in anticipation of another wave.

I was almost expecting the wave but that didn't mean that it was any less painful. This wave didn't just affect my head; it was my whole body, like I was under the laser beam, burning. Scorching. I screamed out my lungs which were already on fire. I couldn't even scream loud enough to find an outlet for the scalding pain. My body began to writhe uncontrollably. At one point, I was squirming and screeching so hard that I didn't even notice the pain had stopped.

It didn't fade away like a real fire but it just abruptly halted, leaving me gasping for breath between my hurtful sobs. I tried to sit up but I had no energy left. I let the darkness swallow me whole.

I don't even know if I woke up, but I felt weirdly comfortable where I was. It was like I was at peace finally. I assumed that it was because the torture ceased.

What was that all about?

Was I going crazy?

As hard as I tried, I could never reach the part of my memory that I most desperately needed. The memory that held the key as to why I was here. and how long I had been kept here.

I suddenly began remembering the happy things I felt towards Talon and I grinned. "Oh Talon, Where are you? I need you, please", I whispered as tears sprung to my eyes. I sobbed quietly. I stopped when I heard some noise in the back ground. Like whispering, quite far away. I realized that I could move. I shifted from my position and rolled onto my back. I stretched and sat up. I stood up and felt fear descend upon me. Where the hell was I? Why was I being held here and tortured?

"Help me", I croaked. I was stunned when I heard, "Look, she's awake. Get her some help. She'll need it after what she was put through", and then some giggling.

Huh?

"Help me", I croaked again. I suddenly felt arms grasp me and I knew my legs could no longer hold me up. The person easily picked me off the ground and held me tight. It was a girl.

She took me somewhere and suddenly all I could see was white light. I tried to keep my eyes open but it hurt so bad that I gasped and buried my face into her body.

"Oh she's good. She didn't collapse", I heard a voice but I honestly didn't care. I knew they would kill me. But I wasn't going down without a fight. So I violently jerked out of the woman's grasp and tried to make sense of where I was.

Unfortunately, I fell out of her arms onto the hard marble floor.

But I wasn't giving up. I couldn't open my eyes but I managed to stand up.

"Let me go, please. I swear I won't tell anyone. Please don't hurt me", I spoke but I couldn't even hear myself. Then, Demanding Damien took over.

"Look here, Bub. I have no intention of letting you get away with this. I will kill you all. I swear to god, you'll pay for this", I snarled.

I heard laughing and a ripple of giggles from behind me.

I realized I was facing my back to the people here. and I was speaking to a wall or to the air. How embarrassing. Just perfect to make an effect on your kidnappers.

I growled and sank down to the ground, unintentionally, of course. I had no control over my actions. I sighed as calm streaked through me. the adrenaline pulsing in my veins died immediately and the whole fizzy fear stopped.

I let them lead me away.

Lead me into my doom.


	15. Chapter 15

I was relaxed and peaceful. It was beyond comfortable, where I was sleeping. I let my hands wander around me and felt satin and silk. The pillows and mattress were puffy and soft. No doubt stuffed with feathers. It was cool, not cold in the room. It was warm, not hot when I donned on the quilt.

How could everything be so perfect?

I was just below the surface of waking up, I would be up in any minute. But I was so perfect at this moment that my sanity was in question.

How could I be happy when I had been kidnapped and tortured for hours and then teased and taunted? Talon was gone too.

I was on some bed, feeling content. I wasn't hungry, thirsty, or uncomfortable. I felt like all my bodily functions had been halted for the time being. Calm, composed, I fluttered my eyes open.

The room I was in had breathtaking décor. It was basically purple, the bed sheets, pillows, carpets, drapes and walls. They were all velvet. The furniture was warm brown wood.

The room had a rich royal air to it. And yet I was sitting on the bed calmly admiring the décor. Humph.

The door opened and a girl walked in. she was beautiful; light brown hair, blue eyes and tan skin. She skipped over to my bed.

"Hey, you're okay. Relax", she breathed with a lovely smile. I nodded and leaned back into my pillows.

"Is that your special ability or something?", I asked. I was unbelievable calm in her presence. I felt good when she looked at me.

"Oh, the calm thing? Yeah, it's my ability. It's just an extension to compulsion. You'll get some ability when you're turned too", she smiled.

"How did you know?", I asked.

"That's not important. You need to get dressed and come with me", she got up and handed me some clothes. She pointed to the bathroom. I nodded, knowing I was being compelled or calmed or whatever.

I showered and pulled on the clothes she'd given me. They were perfectly my size. A dark green chiffon dress that stopped at my knees. And strapped heels.

I went into the room and put on some eyes make up and combed out my dark hair.

"Good, you're ready. Let's go!", the girl was excited.

"Where?", I asked helplessly and let her pull me out through the castle. She took me into a room and murmured, "Well, meet her".

"Hello", I heard a voice scarily like the girl's.

I turned around and saw the girl's twin. The same features and smile. Tan and all. But she was less hyper compared to the other girl.

"I am Nadine and this is my twin Nadia", the new comer introduced.

"Nice to meet you", I smiled.

"Nadine's ability is to make someone forget something and remember an alternate story. It's also an extension of compulsion", Nadia giggled.

That explained my memory loss and why I was so calm.

But the burning and the brain waves of pain?

As if hearing my thoughts, another girl stormed in.

"How dare you, Nadine", she screamed. Another twin, I realized. But her hair had blonde highlights. She was wearing more make up too.

She also completely ignored me.

"This is Damien, Nandee", Nadia began, irritated.

"Like I care", she snapped and stalked off.

"Okay, that was Nandee, our other twin. As her personality suggests it, she can mentally burn you", Nadine looked apologetically at me.

I scowled, remembering the burning.

"We are actually quadruplets", Nadia said.

"Who's the other one?", I looked at her, skeptically.

"Um, well, she's can send white hot pain through your brain", Nadine said looking away from me. I nodded. I was angry but Nadia was keeping me calm.

"Her name is Katie", Nadine said.

"Wait, Nadia, Nadine, Nandee and Katie?", I was confused. Why was Katie's name different?

"Well her real name is Nadelay. But she's well….um not so attached to us. So she prefers to be called Katie", Nadia was obviously uncomfortable talking about this. I wanted to meet Nadelay. I told Nadine.

"Okay", she sighed and took my arm and led me through the castle to a nearby room. I was so lost in this castle without them.

"Katie, Damien wants to meet you", Nadia spoke so softly, like she was afraid of Katie.

"Come on in, guys", I hear the same voice Nadia, Nadine and Nandee had.

She walked up to the door from across the huge study room. She smiled at me.

She wasn't tan, but she was beautiful, just like her sisters. But she had on spectacles that suited her. I knew at once that she was incredibly smart.

She even had the pale skin, huge study and glasses cliché to prove it.

"Hey Nadelay", I held out my hand.

She had taken it and realized what I had called her. Gripping my hand tightly, she glared at me.

Shooting pain went through my skull as I screamed and dropped to the floor. Nadine shouted out something in what I guess was Italian and Nadia soothed me with her talent.

I stood up and looked into Katie's eyes. She was angry. She said something in very rapid Italian to Nadine and turned away.

"She didn't know, Katie", Nadia yelled.

"I need to know why you're hurting me, guys", I screeched, finally getting their attention. The door of the study opened and Nandee stepped in quietly.

"Look, we're sorry. But this was necessary. It was like a test okay? But we'd never hurt you intentionally, Damien. We love you like a sister, already", Nadia whispered to me.

"What do you mean, 'already'?", I snapped.

"Tell her, Nadia. Tell her that we're Talon's family", Nandee snarled.

"You're…..what…Talon?", I stuttered.

"Where is he? Is he okay? Please I have to see him. Let me see him!", I begged nearing tears.

They all sighed at once.

"You can't see him just yet, Damien", Katie whispered. "You need to stay with us and run some more tests and then you can see him okay?", Katie looked into my eyes. I saw the sincerity in hers behind her glasses and nodded.

"Sure, tell her the dull, non exciting version of the story", Nandee murmured.

"What's his real name?", my curiosity got the better of me.

All the girls laughed and it was little creepy to see FOUR replicas of an angel laughing.

"Tell you soon, Damien", Nadine smiled.

"Okay", I agreed, feeling happy.

Soon, I would be with him.

Soon everything would be alright.

Soon.


	16. Chapter 16

"Okay, now I am internally freaking out. Why am I REALLY here?", I had borne their non sense long enough and I needed to know why I was being held, against my will, I might add, in a lonely huge castle, without being allowed to put a foot out of the door. I wasn't even allowed to make pone calls to Rane in case he was worried. Not even to Stephanie and Dex, not that they would worry.

But I still wanted them not to worry and to enjoy the bonding program. I also wanted to ask the whereabouts of Talon. I wasn't even allowed to ask about him.

The sisters kept me like a prisoner. But one or the other of them always stayed with me. Like they were told to keep an eye on me. I tried to act like it didn't bother me but it did. It troubled me that they had spoken to Talon even during my stay and they wouldn't tell me what it was about.

I learned to enjoy Nadine and Nadia's company. They were open, friendly and loving. I was wary and irritated when I was made to sit with Nandee. That girl cared about no one but herself. She in fact, walked around with a mirror in her hand al the time.

When Nandee came to spend 'quality time' with me, she was always herself. She never put on a fake attitude or show just for my sake. Now, don't think that's a good thing; she was being her usual, nosy, rude, snobby, high air, 'full of myself', queen of everything girl. How very endearing.

NOT!

I tried to speak as little as possible to Nandee, only if courtesy absolutely demanded it, I would ask her a polite question. I would, of course, receive a snappy, one word answer. Not that I honestly cared.

But with Nadelay, oops, I mean Katie, it was a weird situation. She was always so engrossed in her books and her work that she barely acknowledged my presence, even when we spent 'quality time' together. I would just sit at the corner of her room and tried to put on a very nonchalant attitude.

But the question was eating my insides up.

Why was I here?

I often tried to ask Nadine about it. She would immediately compel me to think about something else. No matter how hard I tried, Nadia never answered me. Asking Katie was out of the question. I speak from experience; I had once asked her and she just sent a wave of her infamous white hot pain through my skull.

What an effective distraction strategy!

After I had recovered, she justified her actions by giving me a simple smile and getting back to her work. Nice save!

I had no choice but to drop the subject altogether and get back to my idle thoughts. Asking Nandee was my only go.

I know this because she wasn't supposed to tell me that the girls were Talon's sister's but she had blurted it out. So I was betting that she couldn't hold her mud when she was provoked. And provoke her, I was going to do. Some way or another, I would find out.

Knowing that provoking Nandee wasn't rocket science. All I had to do was pester her for a few seconds. She had a fuse shorter than Stephanie's.

Thinking about Stephanie made me so unhappy that I locked myself in my room and thought, worried and cried for Dex and her. They were never far from my thoughts and I knew I would never admit it; but I missed them. I almost wished I hadn't left them, feeling angry. I wanted them to remember me happy, smiling and loving them; not angry, irritated and hateful.

But those things wouldn't be their LAST memories of me, right?

I would see them again, right?

Huh?

I had no answer.

If I knew why I was being kept here, I would know the answer to everything. Seeing no easy way to find out, I was left alone to brood and ponder. To cry and remember. To laugh and miss my old life.

I'll be honest, my old life, the one I had before Eleanor was nothing to me. I had no attachment to it. But after coming to Eleanor and meeting Talon, my life lit up. He's the reason I was alive and I could never forget that. I wanted to ask him if…..he felt….uh…that way about me too.

I told him that I did. But we never spoke about it. He sorta showed me how he felt but not that he loved me. I still dreamt about him. I missed him. I missed his beautiful eyes that seemed to see right through your soul, his soft dark hair, firm, lithe build, playful smile and angel voice.

One morning, I woke up and got dressed and went to Katie's room. Oh joy! It was 'quality time' again. I scowled at her door and knocked my pale fingers onto the dark wood. The door flew open and Katie ushered me in. I was momentarily paralyzed. It all happened in vampire speed. I looked around her room, trying to get my bearings.

"Damien, I need your help", Katie cried. Her blue eyes were blood shot behind her smart glasses. Her usually organized room was in a huge mess. Katie's hair was much shorter and straighter compared to the others. It fell in billows around her face. Unbrushed.

"What's wrong, Katie?", I asked worriedly.

I knew Katie never panicked unless it was something beyond her. And now, she looked lost in a wild haze of fear and panic. She was close to hyperventilating.

Katie breathed deeply before looking into my eyes. There was a lot of pain in her eyes, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her slim shoulders.

"Katie?", I touched her shoulder, now feeling anxious. She feebly sighed and sat down on a chair. I knelt down beside her and put my hands into hers. Her hands were cold and soothing to my human senses. I would have felt relaxed when I held her hands but at the moment, she was so upset that it was rubbing off on me too. The worst part was that she wasn't telling me what was wrong.

"Oh Damien, the worst thing ever has happened. A calamity. A tragedy", she cried, her eyes filling with tears.

"Katie?", I was shouting now. But I couldn't help it. I was just so scared.

"The enemies who wanted to hurt Talon, they've found our castle. They're coming here", she sobbed.

"But why?", I had no clue. And if I was to be turned, I had to know about the vampire history, right? Especially if it concerned Talon and the twins. Especially if it would put Stephanie and Dex's life in danger.

"Well, I think Nadine could tell you better. I wasn't really very interested in these things when they were happening", Katie shrugged.

"Nadine?", I called, only a little louder. She was there in moments. So were Nadia and Nandee. So I suppose this was important. It had to be, for Miss Royalty to take the time to come here.

Suddenly, my curiosity and annoyance got the better of me.

"Look, I don't know how the Westwood family comes into this, but I've been told that we have had vampire ties in our family. That's the reason we're being turned. I just want to know something; why me? Why am I being turned by the Prince himself? Why not regular vampire citizens for me, like Stephanie and Dex have? Is there some significance of me being chosen? And why am I being kept here and being tested or whatever it is that you're doing to me? And what's all this about Talon being hunted and us being found here?", I burst out. I am sure I had their attention.

Again, Katie, Nadine, Nadia and Nandee sighed at the same time. I had to admit it was getting creepy. But I was too focused on my outburst to tease them about it. I could sense their grave seriousness about the whole issue and I was feeling more and more lost in their world.

"Okay", Nadine finally sighed. "Back story time", she whispered.

I nodded.

I was about to listen to the story of my life. I mean, really this story would make a world of difference to my life. It would change everything for me.

Was that change good or bad?


	17. Chapter 17

Hey, readers! I really miss writing this story and would love to get back to doing it. I just had a bad writer's block and then some issues that lead me to just abandon this creation of mine. And I know that was irresponsible of me to abuse the control that I have on my characters' lives. I assure you it won't happen again. I want to know if you want me to continue this story. If you do, then please leave it on the comments or PM me. Please feel free to tell me what you want to happen in any or all of my stories. I love hearing from you.

Your dear,

Avery Collins


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